Juan Castagnini - Food Science and Technology

This research article examines the content of heavy metals and mycotoxins, as well as the bioaccessibility of minerals in extracts from rainbow trout and sole by-products obtained through pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). The study evaluates the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on antioxidant capacity and mineral bioaccessibility. The results show that contaminant levels are below...

This study examines the health impact on older Chilean adults of consuming healthy and sustainable foods made from fruit and vegetable by-products. A 60-day nutritional intervention study was conducted with two groups (control and intervention), evaluating nutritional and biochemical parameters. The results show a significant increase in fruit and vegetable intake in the intervention group, with c...

This article provides a comprehensive review of edible insects as a sustainable and nutrient-rich food source. It highlights their nutritional benefits, including high-quality proteins and bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The research explores innovative processing technologies, such as ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, and high hydrostatic pressure, to enha...

This study examines the acrylamide content in popcorn samples from the Spanish market, categorized by flavor and cooking method. The findings indicate that the microwave cooking method significantly increases acrylamide levels. A risk assessment for the Spanish population revealed a margin of exposure (MOE) below 10,000 in children for Harderian gland tumors under both realistic and pessimistic sc...

This scientific article investigates the optimization of astaxanthin extraction, a potent antioxidant, from the by-products of two shrimp species (Aristeus antennatus and Melicertus kerathurus) using pulsed electric fields (PEF) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), both individually and in combination. The efficiency of both methods was evaluated using two different solvents (DMSO and ethanol...

This scientific article examines the effects of a novel herbal microemulsion, "Hair Rise™," on the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. The microemulsion, formulated with extracts from Thai plants such as rice, shallot, licorice, and corn, was shown to stimulate hair growth by activating key signaling pathways, inhibiting 5α-reductase, and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. The findings su...

This review article examines emerging physical technologies for postharvest processing of fruits and vegetables, focusing on techniques such as vacuum cooling and hydrocooling, microwave heating, pulsed electric fields, cold plasma, and high hydrostatic pressure. The effectiveness of each treatment in reducing microbial load and maintaining quality is evaluated, taking into account matrix variabil...

This study investigates the effectiveness of plasma-activated water (PAW), generated using a pinhole plasma jet with an argon-oxygen mixture, in degrading pesticide residues (carbendazim and chlorpyrifos) and decontaminating microorganisms (Escherichia coli and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) on chili peppers. The results showed that PAW significantly reduces pesticide residues and microbial load...

This study examines the presence of mycotoxins and heavy metals in edible insects, specifically in cricket flour, mealworm flour, buffalo worms, and migratory locusts. The authors found that locusts had aflatoxin G2 levels exceeding legal limits, while mealworms contained ochratoxin A above permissible levels. High levels of cadmium were also detected in all the insects studied, surpassing regulat...

This study investigates the cytoprotective effects of extracts from fish by-products (specifically sea bass heads) and Spirulina microalgae in mitigating the toxicity of citrinin, a harmful mycotoxin, in SH-SY5Y cells. The results show that these natural extracts enhance cell viability and reduce citrinin-induced apoptosis, suggesting potential applications in food safety and health protection. Ho...

This study examines the impact of plasma-activated water (PAW) treatment on arugula leaves. Researchers analyzed the phenolic profile, vitamin content, antioxidant activity, and enzymatic activity of arugula after exposure to PAW for varying time periods. They found that PAW is an effective technique for arugula decontamination, enhancing the retention of polyphenols and vitamins while reducing pe...

This research article examines the application of ultrasound technology for extracting specialized metabolites from nettle powder ( Urtica dioica L. ). The researchers compared conventional extraction methods with ultrasound-assisted extraction (using two different ultrasound systems) to evaluate their effectiveness in extracting specialized metabolites, including ascorbic acid, polyphenolic compo...

This article provides a comprehensive review of extraction and determination techniques for acrylamide (AA) in food matrices, focusing on innovative and sustainable methods. It analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of traditional methods, such as dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), QuEChERS, and solid-phase extraction (SPE), and introduces more efficient alternatives, including a...

This research article explores the potential of pulsed electric field (PEF) technology for valorizing sea bass by-products. The study examines the protein content, bioactive peptides, minerals, and heavy metals in both solid matrices and liquid extracts obtained from the heads, skin, viscera, and muscle of sea bass treated with PEF. The authors found that PEF, in combination with various extractio...

This study explores the use of sweet potato peels, a commonly discarded by-product, as a source of compounds that can promote the growth of specific Lactobacillus strains. Researchers used pulsed electric fields (PEF) to extract bioactive compounds from sweet potato peels, achieving a more efficient extraction compared to traditional methods. An increase in Lactobacillus growth was observed when c...

This review article explores the use of two food processing technologies, high-pressure processing (HPP) and pulsed electric fields (PEF), as sustainable methods for extracting high-value-added compounds (HVAC) from agro-industrial by-products and underutilized waste. The paper highlights the environmental, economic, and social benefits of these technologies, as well as the challenges associated w...

This scientific article explores the use of pulsed electric fields (PEF) as a pre-extraction technology to obtain bioactive compounds from two microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina). The authors compare the efficiency of PEF with conventional aqueous extraction for recovering proteins, carbohydrates, pigments (chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids), phenolic compounds, and...

This scientific article explores the use of pulsed electric fields (PEF) to extract biomolecules from the microalga *Chlorella*. The authors examined how PEF treatment conditions, solvent type (water or DMSO), and extraction time influence the recovery of proteins, polyphenols, chlorophyll, and carotenoids. They also assessed the mineral content and relative nutritional value (NRV) of the extracts...

This article investigates the use of pulsed electric fields (PEF) and osmotic dehydration (OD) as pretreatments for producing kiwi snacks from undersized fruits that do not meet commercial standards. The study evaluates how these treatments impact the drying kinetics, texture, color, and sensory qualities of the kiwi snacks, comparing various combinations of PEF, OD, and drying temperatures. The a...

This research article explores the sustainable development of an apple snack enriched with blueberry juice and trehalose. The study investigates the drying kinetics of apple slices vacuum-impregnated with blueberry juice and trehalose and modeled the air-drying kinetics using an image analysis approach to monitor the process. Additionally, it evaluates the impact of trehalose on the retention of a...

This scientific article explores the impact of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of various plant tissues, such as apple, carrot, and potato. The authors found that PEF treatment lowers the Tg, indicating an increase in molecular mobility within the plant tissue. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the combined effects of PEF and drying...

This study investigates the stability of anthocyanins in blueberry juices during storage, including the effect of pasteurization. The authors found that pasteurization reduced the initial concentration of anthocyanins but also increased their stability during storage. The degradation data of anthocyanins were analyzed using kinetic models to determine the degradation rate constant, half-life, and...

This article presents a study on improving the nutritional and sensory quality of semi-dried strawberries using vacuum impregnation with bilberry juice. The researchers evaluated different sugar concentrations in the bilberry juice and found that impregnation with a 30% sugar solution produced the best results in terms of total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, and sensory acceptance. Alth...

This scientific article explores the development of rice bran oil-in-water emulsions stabilized with soy flour proteins and polysaccharides, designed as a base for food products that can be incorporated into ketogenic diets. The study examines the impact of formulation (ketogenic ratios and oil mass fractions) and high-pressure homogenization conditions (number of homogenization cycles) on the pro...

This research article examines how the use of pulsed electric fields (PEF) as a pretreatment affects the mechanical and sorption properties of dried apples. The authors found that PEF increases the water retention capacity of the apples and alters the shape of the sorption isotherm, suggesting an increase in crystalline components within the apple matrix. The study also investigated the plasticizi...